Imagine you ’re in your garden and seeing the most beautiful tomatoes . They ’re red and right and look perfect . But when you pick them up , you realize their skin is sturdy and leathery .

Is there anything more frustrating than planting tomatoes , find out them spring up improbable and strong , and then having the skins be so hard that you ca n’t eat them ? You ’re not alone in this frustration since many gardeners have to deal with tough - skinned Lycopersicon esculentum as well .

But what ’s the reason for this pesky job ? And more importantly , is there anything you may do about it ? Read on to find out !

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Extreme Temperatures

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One of the most common reason your tomato have tough cutis is excessive heat . If you give away your love apple to extreme temperature , their tegument will toughen up to protect themselves . It is completely normal , and there ’s no pauperism to occupy .

However , if you want to avoid hard - skinned tomatoes , there are a few things you’re able to do . First , check that to water your plants regularly . It will assist them stay cool and hydrous during live summer days . last , it would n’t suffer to mulch ! Tomatoes are warm weather condition crops and could benefit from celluloid mulch .

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Sunscald

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If you ’re a tomato lover , there ’s nothing quite like a ripe , toothsome fruit flat from the vine . However , if your tomatoes are subject to sunscald , they may not be as delectable as you ’d go for . Sunscald can make the cutis on your tomatoes tough and can ruin the taste perception of otherwise perfect yield .

Sunscald is a condition that involve tomatoes when you divulge them to too much direct sunlight . The high temperatures cause the hide to break down , leading to a release of wet and flavor .

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There are a few simple-minded slipway to prevent sunscald on your love apple :

Different Varieties

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Some Lycopersicon esculentum type have tough tegument because they have been breed that way . problematical skin is helpful for fire and preserve tomatoes . Additionally , some change , such as Roma and Plum , have thick skin to preclude cracking .

Underwatering

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Underwatering can also cause Lycopersicon esculentum to have blockheaded cutis . It happens when the plant is n’t engender enough water , so it assay to conserve what it can . The result is a Lycopersicon esculentum with a toughened outer layer . While this may not seem like a bighearted deal , it can make the fruit more unmanageable to feed . So , if you ’re growing tomatoes for your ingestion , give them raft of water !

How To Properly Care For Your Tomato Plants

Plant Them In The Right Spot

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love apple like lots of sunshine , so make certain you plant them in a spot that gets at least eight hours of direct sunlight per day . They also choose soil that is loose and well - drained , so if your grunge is with child or clay - like , amend it with some compost or other constituent matter before planting .

Water Them Regularly (But Not Too Much)

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You need to water love apple regularly , especially when they are fruiting . However , you do n’t want to exaggerate it as that can lead to problems like root rot . Water your plants profoundly about once a week , or more often if they are in locoweed or the weather is very spicy and dry .

Feed Them a Balanced Diet

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Tomatoes are sullen feeders , so they will apprize a bi - hebdomadal dot of fertilizer if yougrow them in container . If you have your tomatoes in the garden , apply plant food every four weeks or so during the arise time of year .

Support Them Properly

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As tomatoes raise and produce yield , they can get top - heavy and start to fall over . To prevent this , you will want to supply some type of support for them . you’re able to do this by staking , trellising , or planting them in John Milton Cage Jr. .

Prune Them As Needed

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To keep your Lycopersicon esculentum plants healthy and productive , it ’s a proficient idea to do some selective pruning . absent any dead or pathological leave or outgrowth , and prune off any sucker that take shape on the stem below the fruit .

In Summary

Have you ever had trouble with the tomato plant ' pelt being tough and uneatable ? You ’re not alone . Many gardeners have to deal with this effect as well . There are many reasons that can cause tough tomato skins , such as extreme temperatures , too much direct sunlight , or underwatering .

However , there are thing you could do to assist keep it ! Keeping your plant life hydrate , mulching around the soil with straw , and cover them when the temperature get too high can greatly improve your tomato craw !

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Tomatoes

Tomato sunscald

Roma Tomatoes

Watering the garden

Young woman farmer in tomato greenhouse looking at vegetable tomato uses magnifying glass. Close Up of Vegetable Tomato Scientist woman Look Magnifying Glass in Greenhouse.

Watering newly planted tomatoes and potted basil growing in a container garden

fertilizers

Positive man gardener picking harvest of fresh tomatoes in garden

a young girl takes care of vegetables in the garden, prunes with scissors, forms bushes, prunes shoots and tall tomato bushes